Display rack



May'31, 1938. H. c. ROBINSON DISPLAY RACK I Filed Dec. 11, 1936 Patented May 31, 1938 r a i DISPLAY RAGK Harry. CI Robinson, Chattanooga; Tenn. Application December 11, 1936; Serial "No'." 115,423 I 6rClaims." (01.-z11 -1s1)v This-invention relates to'racks or stands broadshaped "to'provide individual leg's "contacting the ly-andparticularly to display racks of the wire" floor or ground at four spaced points to better" frame type-"designed to lee-folded or collapsed conform to uneven 'fioorsfthe frames maybe r'e'-' forshipment or'storagei' Rack's'of the foregoing inforced by crossjmembers';andother changes in type aremade-in varying sizes and are-ofttimes shape a'nd" structure adopted to meetcondit'ions, 5 called upon to support relatively large quantithe "invention "not"being' particularly"con'cern'ed ties of and/or heavy merchandise;- and it is" with"thisfpart"ofthe ra'ckl'i highly desirable that they'be' capable of carry- 'Conn'ected'at their 'oppositeend's to'the side ingsuchmerchandise without danger-of giving uprights of the' leg frames Eand' fijprefrably by Way or'of'swaying and bending; whileatthesame electric welding; are a"plurality" ofwmnsverse .10

time the rack-shouldbecapableoflow'cost man tray supporting bars or wires8, '9j I0an'd'j' ll ufacture; light in weight and 'foldable-into-a thesebarsbeingdesignediosuppbrt'tiaysgencompact bundle for shipment or storage." V erallyindi'cated at"l2"and 131" "Ihe'oentral por- The-- present invention, therefore; includes tionsofthetraysl2"and"l3"are preferablymad" among'its'objects: to provide a wire rack or'dis-' up of a plurality of reinforcing and supporting 15 play e stand which is-strong and sturdy and is wire'or" rod"m"embers"l2a andflSaf said'lat't'er braced=-against both vertical and lateral stresses" members h'avingtheir opposite 'endsconne'ct'ed or-- strains that may be imposed thereon in supto the' outer" framestruoture preferably also'by porting relatively heavy quantities of merchanelectric welding? Thetrays l2an'd I3 are'p'refer disc; is foldable or collapsible into a compact ably hingedto thecrossbars 8 and arespec bundle: is capableof beingmade at'practically tively*-bymeansof loopsor'bands l4'and. Ma), amr' desired height and withany-desired number which pass beneath the supporting bars 8 and 9; of -trays-without=danger of sagging or-becomingin--conjunction"with the'trayibars I21: and l3a', rickety; and is designed for ease and economy whichpass 'ove'rsaid' wires."

25 in manufacture and particularly for manufacture It will be understood that there may be as 5 by the electricwelding-process: many-crossrods 8, 9; lfl' and Hand"trays l2 The foregoing and other objects madadvan and l3'asmaybedesired in'accordancewith'the tages will become apparent-inview of the follow-- height of the rack andthe required" capacity ing description-taken tr-conjunction with the thereof}and"thesetrays may"be""provided 'With" drawing, wherein-2 7 various types of holding or retaining memb'ers'g Figure 1-is a view in-perspective-of arack emto accommodate the particular type ofmer bodyingthefeatures of the present invention;- chandise-carried th'ereby. I V

Figure '2 is--a 'view'in'transverse' vertical sec The upper rack l3 is provided withcatchesor" tion-of'the-rackofFigure 1; r v I looks f5} which are preferably of L'-shape"with" 33 Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to 'Figure-2 theopen end of the-'catch facing-inwardly of 5 withtherack partially and completely folded, the rack, while'the'lower tray I2' is provided respectively withcatches -'orlooks "-l 6 which are' preferably of Figure 5 isaviewtaken substantiallyon the inverted- U -shapewith the open ends facing" 1ine'5--5 of- Figure 4f 7 downwardly when therack=-is-unfoldedz Each 40 Figure 6 is -a fragmentary viewof theupper of thes'ecatches' or'locks I5 and l6 is-preferably 40 portion of a rack'showing a modified typeo r y formed 'of a singl-e "piece orshort length of wire lock. which is'bent -into shape andelectflcally-welded The'main'supportingframe-comprises a pair to'the outer'frame member Ofthe'tray, although" of legs madeupof a substantiallyU-shaped wire it couldobviously be connected-to any'of the 4:5 5 andna substantiallyrectangular shaped wire central-crossrodswhich-makeup the body'of 5' 6, the wire 5-having its freeends bent-around the tray; Itwill be-noted"th'at whenthe rack' the'wir'e B as at-1 to-therebyprovide'a hinge" is-unfolded; the upper'L-shaped-catch or lo'ck connection at-the upper end oftheframe meml5 engages the cross-bar l0 and limits and at' bers; When theseframe or leg members Sand the'same time-determines" the 'unfolded' position" 59' 6 are opened out they" define an inverted V.- or spread of the-le'g' irame members 5"and"6,

These leg-frame members'may-be madeof any and atthe-same time" looks-the" tray IS in" desired height in -accordance withthe desired horizontal position and"preventstilting'or over a carrying capacity of the rack,"and-the'partioular balancing of the tray whenthe'same is lo'ad'ed' shape-thereof varied to 'meet"varying conditions oroverweightedexteriorly of the legifram'e, and

catches or locks "5 are in a position to register with the supporting cross bar II. This cooperating L- and U-shape combination of catches or looks not only facilitates the unfolding and proper placement of the rack but also ensures a rigid structure which is braced against lateral or twisting strains or stresses, while at the same time the cross bars 8, 9, "land ll form'a rigid brace against the vertical load imposed on the trays. As an additional strengthening operation, the ends of the wires which form the outer frame of the trays l2 and I3 arejoined at the point where the catches l5 and [6 are welded thereto, By this means, also,'the said ends. are united position, the latch members of one of said trays and the catches attached operation. 7 r y In collapsing or folding the rack, bottom tray I2 is first swung upwardly insubstantial alignby a single welding 'ment with the side member of frame 5. This operation frees the catches l6 from the supporting rod I, whereupon the leg frame members 5 and 6 may be movedtogether until the catches I5 are free from the supporting rod 10.. The leg frames 5 and 6 may then be spread apart, and as soon as the rod 10 clears theendof tray l3, the'latter swings 'downwardly also in substantially'parallel relation with the side members ofthe legframe 6 against the upperportion of. the tray l2.' The leg frames 5 and'6 may then be collapsed, .where-v .upon thej'rack is'compactlyfolded as illustrated in Figures .4 and 5;

Practical experience hasdemonstrated that the foregoing construction provides a rack which has thedesirable' characteristics heretofore enumerated. I T r In Figure 6, another typefof lock' for the supporting frames .is illustrated which may be used in place of the locks L6, or if desired, in conjunction with the latter. In this'instance one or 1 more'latch locks l8 are pivotedfor hinged on-the tray 13 andhave hookedlends adapted to engage I one of the cross bars 9 or Ill, the lock shown engaging bar I 0.

By this means the supporting frames 5 and 6 are locked-against inward movement while at the same time the locks [5 hold said frames against spread or outward movement.

It willbe understood that other changes in structure and design maybe adopted within the 1 scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Y. Q I claim: d v ,1. A rack for display and like purposes, comprising a pair of hinged wire leg frames which whenunfolded define an inverted substantially V -shaped supporting structure, tray supporting and leg reinforcing crossbars connected at their opposite ends to the upright wire legs at the sides of each'leg frame and arranged in substantial alignment transversely of thegrack; foldable wire trays having hinged connection with the cross bars of one legframe and spanning f the space between the frames when the latter are spread apart and adapted torest on the aligned cross bar of the other leg'frame, and

patch members connected to said trays adapted to engage the said last-named bars and hold the trays and legs in set-up position, the catches of i one of saidtrays being arranged 'to'engage its coacting bar substantially horiaontally and those ,of another of said trays being arranged to en age its coacting barsubstantially;vertically to thereby coact to. brace the rack against both vertical and lateral stresses.

2. A rack for supporting articles of merchan ,dise and the like comprising a pair of hinged Wire leg frames which when unfolded define an inverted substantially V-shaped supporting structure, tray-supporting and leg-reinforcing cross bars connected at their oppositeends to the upright Wires at each side of said leg frames and arranged in substantial alignment transversely of the rack, foldable wire trays each having a hinge connection with a cross bar of one leg frame and spanning the space between the frames when the latter are spread apart and adapted to rest on the aligned cross bar of the other leg frame, and latch members connected to, said trays and adapted to engage said latter bars for holding the trays and legs in set-up stantially U-shaped with. its free ends bent around and. connected to said rectangular leg frame to provide, a hinge connection, the leg frames when unfolded defining: anv inverted V-v shaped supporting structure, cross bars each con,-

nected at theiropposite ends to the upright. wires of, a leg frame, said cross bars being arrangedin horizontally aligned pairs transversely .of the: rack, foldable wire trayshinged at one side tothe I cross bars of one leg frame and adapted to span the spaceibetween said frames and rest on the aligned cross bars of the other frame, one of said trays being provided with L-shaped catches which are disposed transversely of the rack and are adaptedito engage the cross bar on which it rests and limit the opening or spreading move- 1 ment. of the legs, the other; of said trays being provided with substantially inverted U-shaped' catches which are adapted to register with a cross 4 bar when the legsreach the extreme: spread or unfolded position determined by said L-shaped catches.

4. A display rack comprising a pair of wireleg frames one of which is substantially rectangular and the other of which is of substantiallyushape with its'upper free-ends bent around'thef 7 upper end of the rectangular frame to provide a hinged connectiontherewith, said leg frames when unfolded defining-an invertedsubstantially r V-shaped supporting structure," cross bars secured at their opposite endsto'theupright side legs of each leg frame and arranged in aligned pairs transversely of the rack, upper and lower foldable wire trays each pivotally connected to a cross bar of one leg frame and'adapted to rest on the aligned cross bar of the other frame when the rack is in set-up position, the upper ,tray be ing provided with substantially L-shaped catch members, which lie in a substantially horizontal plane when the tray is inset-up position and are adapted to engage said aligned. cross bar and limit the opening or spreading movement of the leg frames,the lowermost tray having connected thereto one or more substantially inverted U-,-

shaped catches adapted to register with the'jcross bar opposite. that to which said lower tray is pivoted when the legs arespread'to the point 7 determined by said first named catches.

5. A rack'fordisplay andlike purposes comprisinga pair of pivotally'connected wire'leg 1 frames which whenunfolded define an inverted substantially v-shapedsupporting structure, tray supporting and leg reinforcing cross bars connected at their opposite ends to the upright wire legs and arranged in substantial alignment transversely of the rack, a plurality of trays pivotally supported from the cross bars of one leg frame so as to swing into a plane substantially parallel to said latter frame when the rack is supporting and leg reinforcing cross bars connected at their opposite ends to the upright wire legs and arranged in substantial alignment transversely of the rack, a plurality of trays pivotally supported from the cross bars of one leg frame so as to swing into a plane substantially parallel to said latter frame when the rack is folded and to swing outwardly and overlie and be supported by the aligned cross bars of .the other leg frame when the rack is unfolded, one of said trays being provided with a catch member constructed to engage the adjacent rack structure When the rack is unfolded and lock the tray against tilting movement and also limitthe spread of the leg frames and another of said trays being provided with a catch member constructed to engage the adjacent rack structure and hold the leg frames against inward movement.

HARRY C. ROBINSON. 

